Make wishtv.com your home page

Animal health board partially lifts ban on bird commingling

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Members of the Indiana State Board of Animal Health voted Thursday to loosed the current emergency rule that bans the commingling of all bird species at events.

The rule had been in place to limit the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

Beginning July 10, the ban will be limited to poultry species only.

Non-poultry species can resume normal movements.

BOAH explained more in a media release Thursday:

Species that are defined as poultry under Indiana law are still subject to the movement ban until Sept. 17, 2015. BOAH established that date based upon World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) standards. Sept. 17 is 90 days after the last U.S. case.

Indiana law defines the following species as poultry:

Chickens;

Turkeys;

Ostriches;

Emus;

Rheas;

Cassowaries;

Waterfowl (any domesticated fowl that normally swim, such as ducks and geese);

Game birds (including pheasants, partridges, quail, pea fowl, grouse, and guinea fowl).

New Traceability Rules for Poultry

Beginning Sept. 17, 2015, poultry species will be subject to Indiana’s traceability requirements, like other livestock species. This requirement is a permanent requirement to Indiana law.

Anyone who buys, sells, leases, barters or exchanges poultry within Indiana must maintain a record of the transaction for 3 years. (This requirement is similar to other livestock species.) The following information must be recorded:

Number and breed of poultry;

Any individual animal identification present on the poultry;

Name and address of the seller, lessor or owner; and

Name and address of the purchaser, lessee or recipient.

Individuals do not have to maintain records of sales directly to an approved slaughter facility or through an approved livestock facility, because these facilities are required to collect that information.